s (n. 8854, 8857). That
which rules universally constitutes the life of the spirit of
man (n. 7648). It is his very will, his very love, and the end
of his life, since that which a man will he loves, and that
which he loves he has as an end (n. 1317, 1568, 1571, 1909,
3796, 5949, 6936). Therefore man is such as his will is, or
such as his ruling love is, or such as the end of his life is
(n. 1568, 1571, 3570, 4054, 6571, 6935, 6938, 8856, 10076,
10109, 10110, 10284).

270. The wisdom of the angels of the third or inmost heaven shall now
be described, and also how far it surpasses the wisdom of the angels
of the first or outmost heaven. The wisdom of the angels of the third
or inmost heaven is incomprehensible even to those who are in the
outmost heaven, for the reason that the interiors of the angels of
the third heaven have been opened to the third degree, while the
interiors of angels of the first heaven have been opened only to the
first degree; and all wisdom increases towards interiors and is
perfected as these are opened (n. 208, 267). [2] Because the
interiors of the angels of the third or inmost heaven have been
opened to the third degree, Divine truths are as it were inscribed on
them; for the interiors of the third degree are more in the form of
heaven than the interiors of the second and first degrees, and the
form of heaven is from the Divine truth, thus in accord with the
Divine wisdom, and this is why the truth is as it were inscribed on
these angels, or are as it were instinctive or inborn in them.
Therefore as soon as these angels hear genuine Divine truths they
instantly acknowledge and perceive them, and afterwards see them as
it were inwardly in themselves. As the angels of that heaven are such
they never reason about Divine truths, still less do they dispute
about any truth whether it is so or not; nor do they know what it is
to believe or to have faith. They say, "What is faith? for I perceive
and see that a thing is so." This they illustrate by comparisons; for
example, that it would be as when any one with a companion, seeing a
house and the various things in it and around it, should say to his
companion that he ought to believe that these things exist, and that
they are such as he sees them to be; or seeing a garden and trees and
fruit in it, should say to his companion that he ought to have faith
that there is a garden and trees and fruits, when yet he is seeing
them clearly